FGTC Therapist Spotlight

Real People…Creating Real Change

Meet Ying-Ying Shiue!

Ying-Ying is an associate professional clinical counselor and has experience working with children of all ages. Ying-Ying has a naturally warm and curious personality. She loves to hear about people's stories and their lives. She is also sensitive to create a safe space for people to share their life experiences with her: the good, the bad, the ugly, the triumphs, the struggles... as life is sometimes just messy!

I believe that deep down, everyone needs to feel a sense of connection and that we were meant to build connections to each other.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in the Greater Boston area in Massachusetts. I went to Boston University and received my undergraduate degree in Psychology. I worked two part-time for 3 years after that and then studied abroad in Taiwan for a semester to brush up on my language skills and then applied for graduate school. I graduated from the University of San Diego in 2018 with a Master's degree in Counseling with a specialization in School Counseling and LPCC eligibility, so I'm currently an associate therapist accruing hours to become licensed. I love to travel. I've road tripped across the country twice and have made it a personal goal to visit at least one new country every year. I also like to watch TV and am a big fan of going to the movies. I also grew up around my extended family, so I'm very family-oriented!

What inspired you to work as a therapist?

I always knew that I would be working with people. I love hearing about their stories, the things that they've lived through and what they've experienced. The ups, downs, good, bad, and ugly. People fascinate me, and I am constantly amazed by their stories!

Explain your personal value words and why they are important to you.

Connection. I believe that deep down, everyone needs to feel a sense of connection and that we were meant to build connections to each other. The worst feeling in the world is to feel alone and like no one understands you. Connection fills that void and bridges the gap between people.

Truth. I'm a big believer in being honest with yourself and others, even when it's hard. Own your truth!

Compassion. It's important to approach everyone with compassion. It just makes the world a better place.

Understanding. I have always found that when people come from a place of understanding or wanting to understand, it makes relationships and conversations much better. It's amazing how much you'll enrich your own life if you're willing to listen and try to understand a different perspective.

What is unique about your work with clients?

I'm a big advocate for meeting clients where they are at. What changes do they want to make in their lives and how can we work together on getting them there? I'm also just a naturally curious person. If you like to play video games, I'm interested in hearing what those are and how they are played! If you like to go on hikes, where do you like to go and what makes hiking enjoyable for you? I really believe that my purpose in life is to help, support, and to love other people, and I love to be able to share in the journey of life with others.

What’s the most challenging and rewarding part of your work?

The most challenging part of my work is feeling productive and effective. It's sometimes hard to measure whether sessions are making an impact or whether the work I'm doing with clients is effective or not. There are definitely lots of time where I feel like I don't know what I'm doing! And I think a lot of that stems from feeling like maybe I'm not good enough. But the most rewarding part is watching clients make progress, big or small!

After a long work week, how do you de-stress or unwind?

I like to go out to brunch or hanging out with friends, but the best way for me to unwind is going out to the movies because it helps to immerse myself in a different space. I will also plan trips for myself so that I can go and explore new places or visit loved ones. I love going to Disneyland because honestly, who doesn't love the happiest place on earth? Although it may seem like I love to be out and about, I live for the days where I can hermit indoors and just do nothing but binge-watch TV all day.

Tell us a funny story about yourself!

I'm SUCH a wimp when it comes to scary movies. I try to avoid them as much as possible. One time in college, a group of my friends were watching Paranormal Activity in the living room, so one of my friends and I (of course) opted out of watching the scary movie and decided to watch Happy Feet instead. Well, it turns out that Happy Feet was scary for me anyway because when the seal jumps out of the ice OUTTA NO WHERE WITHOUT ANY WARNING, I screamed. My friends who were watching the real scary movie came rushing in to check on me while the friend that was with me just laughed and laughed and laughed. To this day, they still never let me live it down.